Happy-go-lucky Jack McBride shuts off the lights, apologizes and disappears.

Five minutes later, Chris McBride quietly walks through the door of the second-floor office in Princeton. He talks in a soft, friendly voice, the eternal straight man to his lively, energetic cousin.

"Jack's definitely had more glory," Chris says. "Back in high school, it was like the same thing."

They share the same confident handshake and smile. Their dads are brothers. Their moms are cousins. They've gone on every family vacation together for as long as each can remember.

"Some people actually think that's kind of weird," Jack says.

For years, the McBrides have also dominated the New Jersey lacrosse scene, embarrassing defenders with scary skills that recently helped awaken a giant in the sport.

The former Delbarton stars have fueled Princeton's resurgence as national championship contenders in the 16-team NCAA Tournament that began this weekend.

"They're great scorers," said Princeton coach Bill Tierney, whose fourth-seeded Tigers (12-2) host Massachusetts at 5 p.m. today in the first round. "They're instinctive players. When they came here, we knew we were getting two great ones."

The sophomore attack duo -- who were 62-4 with two state titles at powerhouse Delbarton -- has breathed life into a Princeton program that slipped in recent years. Jack, with a team-high 34 goals, has led a resurrected offense that features scoring options all over the field. Chris, fourth with 17 goals, solidified the attack line.

"You might fight like brothers, but you're still best friends," said Jack, a native of Madison. "I don't want to say I pushed him to come to Princeton, but I was hinting at it. Luckily enough, he took the hint."

Luckily enough, a coaching legend decided to change, too.

TIERNEY LIGHTENS UP
The six national championships and 10 Final Fours were more than enough proof to stay the course.

Tierney's Hall of Fame resume was the stuff of coaching fantasy. He had lifted Princeton out of lacrosse anonymity 22 years ago, turning it into a powerhouse. The Ivy Leaguers occupied space alongside the sport's royalty, annual challengers to the national crown.

But when Princeton missed the NCAA Tournament for the second time in four seasons last year thanks to losses to Dartmouth and Brown in the final two games, the 57-year-old Tierney knew he needed to adjust.

"I just got too tight," Tierney said of the late-season collapse. "I just remember overdoing it those two weeks. Having anxiety and panic that came out in our practices and in our game planning. Even on game days, I just did a terrible job."

Tierney huddled with associate head coach David Metzbower after the forgettable flop to figure out why Princeton had slipped.

"We had enough information and enough evidence to tell us that something was amiss," Tierney said. "Or other teams had caught up. Or people knew you too well. Or you were just getting old and stupid. Whatever it might be, there needed to be a change."

So Tierney, who built his career on defensive principles, loosened the reins, hoping to revive a stagnant offense. Chris McBride transitioned from the midfield to his familiar spot on attack alongside his cousin.

Tierney adjusted his style in favor of a more free-flowing, up-tempo system.

Every shot didn't have to be perfect. Every set didn't have to be deliberate.

"The lacrosse world was a little surprised at the run-and-gun and the up-and-down style," Towson coach Tony Seaman said. "But not the success. If it was anybody else who changed that drastically and had that kind of success, I think you'd say, 'Wow. Look at them all of a sudden.' But everybody just thought, 'Well, it's Tierney.'"

Princeton debuted the new style in exhibition games on a summer trip to Spain and Ireland. The players were firing aggressive shots and having fun. The coach knew he had made the right decision.

"The games were meaningless," Tierney said. "But they weren't."

When fall practice began, he was fully on board. The team was playing loose and free. Goalies were throwing outlet passes the length of the field to ignite the transition.

"He was yelling at us to go to the goal," said Chris McBride, a native of Ridgewood. "So, we were like, 'Wow ... this is really going to happen.'"

A JACK-ED UP OFFENSE
The same shots that propelled Princeton to a share of its 14th Ivy League title this season sometimes make Tierney tug at his thick head of hair.

"You just got to live with the understanding that he's going to take some bad shots sometimes," Tierney said. "We wouldn't be close to where we are right now without him."

Of course ...

"I definitely still drive him nuts," Jack said. "As mad or crazy as he gets, I know he's still looking out for me. He wants to win and that's the coach that I want to play for."

Whether it was recording a hat trick against Johns Hopkins or scoring four goals against defending national champion Syracuse, Jack McBride has made waves in his second season.

"He's really become an attackman that you have got to gear your defense up for," Seaman said. "He gives anybody trouble."

McBride, who earned first-team All-Ivy League honors, has ignited a team that features four players with at least 35 points. The scoring balance helped Princeton surprise teams and vault to No. 1 in the rankings for a week this season.

"No one thought we were going to be any good," Jack McBride said. "That motivated us even more."

The pieces are in place for a team with "a bunch of snipers," said UMass coach Greg Cannella. Tierney has a formidable offense and reliable defense to make a run at his first Final Four in five years.

Asked whether Princeton will win its first national championship since 2001, the talkative Jack McBride suddenly grows quiet.

"I don't know," he says with a laugh. "I get real nervous about jinxing stuff. So I'd rather not answer that."